Chapter 2093: Adult Fulfillment

The King of Liang’s eyes flashed with a hint of greed, but he quickly concealed it. "I had urgent military matters to discuss with the Empress, but your subordinates prevented us from meeting."

"You people really are... if the King of Liang had something important, why didn't he come to me directly?" Tu Shan Yu’s beauty was widely renowned, and countless admirers swarmed around her. How could she not know the King of Liang’s intentions? Yet, she didn't expose him. Instead, she feigned ignorance, subtly reprimanded her subordinates, and quickly moved past the issue. "May I ask what brings the King of Liang here so late?"

The King of Liang, naturally, wouldn't pursue the previous matter and risk appearing undignified. He smoothly transitioned, "We are unfamiliar with the terrain in this demon territory. Has the Empress deployed any soldiers for outer perimeter security?"

Tu Shan Yu was taken aback. "Haven't you deployed scouts for the outer perimeter?"

To her, it was unbelievable, as it was a basic military procedure for any army.

The King of Liang’s old face flushed. He quickly explained, "I had originally intended to send out scouts for patrols. However, some of my young officers objected, saying it would imply distrust and could easily harm the diplomatic relations between our two races. I initially didn't want to listen to them, but they come from influential military families, and their elders hold great prestige in the army, so I couldn't afford to offend them too much."

If the Qin family brothers had heard this, they would surely have been furious, wondering how such a shameless person could exist in the world.

Yet, the King of Liang recounted this without a trace of redness in his face or quickening in his heart.

Tu Shan Yu was somewhat surprised and felt a hint of doubt. She had met the Qin family brothers before; they didn’t seem like the kind of people to do this.

She maintained a calm demeanor and smiled. "That must have been difficult for Your Highness. However, in my opinion, necessary scouts should still be deployed. After all, safety comes first."

She hadn't sent out scouts, primarily because she didn't want to overstep her bounds. The safety of the human army was inherently their own responsibility.

"The Empress speaks wisely." Seeing her smiling so beautifully, the King of Liang felt a flutter in his heart. Just as he was about to continue flirting, he suddenly heard the piercing sound of a signal arrow from afar.

Everyone present changed color. Even the muddled King of Liang understood this was a warning signal.

"Wh-what happened?"

He asked those around him in a panic, but they had been together the whole time; how could they know what was happening?

The King of Liang thought, *I just came out to flirt with a woman, how did I actually run into trouble?*

Faint sounds of fighting could be heard from afar, and the entire encampment erupted into chaos.

Fortunately, there were still capable individuals within the human army. Soon, a deputy general arrived with a contingent of soldiers, reminding him that he should return to the main tent. Otherwise, if various officers needed to report to him, they wouldn't be able to find him.

"Alright, alright, let's go back quickly." The King of Liang nodded hurriedly, almost stumbling in his haste.

Seeing him utterly bewildered, Tu Shan Yu secretly scorned him. She quickly gathered her subordinates, instructing them to prepare for battle and simultaneously investigate what had happened.

Just then, another contingent of soldiers suddenly charged in from an angle. The leader, adorned in shining golden armor, was particularly conspicuous compared to the black-armored soldiers surrounding him.

Seeing the imposing figure, Tu Shan Yu's expression changed. "Second Prince?"

Shouldn't the Second Prince be in the sealed land? And the Little Demon Empress went to rescue him with great fanfare, so how did he suddenly appear here?

Although she didn't know the inside story, she instinctively felt that something was amiss.

At this point, the Second Prince glanced at the wary King of Liang and his men, then turned to Tu Shan Yu. "Empress of Qingqiu, your mission is complete."

Tu Shan Yu was perplexed.

The King of Liang, however, suddenly understood. He pointed at Tu Shan Yu with a furious expression. "Aha! So you two were in cahoots all along, deliberately luring me into their encirclement!"

Tu Shan Yu was speechless.

This fellow usually seemed rather slow-witted. How could he be reacting so quickly now?

The crucial point was that he was overreacting.

"King of Liang, don't listen to his nonsense, I was following the Regent's..."

Before Tu Shan Yu could finish, the Second Prince interrupted her. "Empress, quickly come over, it's safe here."

As if receiving a signal, the King of Liang immediately shouted, "Don't let them rendezvous! Seize Tu Shan Yu as a hostage!"

With that, he lunged directly at Tu Shan Yu, his large hands reaching out like eagle talons.

Seeing this, the Qingqiu guards immediately retaliated, and the King of Liang's men also surged forward.

Tu Shan Yu defended herself while shouting, "King of Liang, you've misunderstood! He's trying to sow discord between us!"

The King of Liang knew clearly how terrifying the consequences would be if the army, completely unprepared, was attacked in the middle of the night.

He wasn't without hesitation upon hearing Tu Shan Yu's words, but he couldn't think of any other solution at that moment.

Capture Tu Shan Yu as a hostage first; perhaps there's still a chance to turn the tide!

This was the only thought in his mind, and his only hope.

He had even considered that even if the other party was wrongly accused, as long as he firmly stuck to this point, he would have an explanation when he returned to court in the future, and the imperial court couldn't blame him.

As for the soldiers who died unjustly, what did that have to do with him?

The other soldiers, however, hadn't thought it through as thoroughly as he had. Seeing him act, they instinctively drew their weapons and charged towards the Qingqiu contingent.

Humans are often prone to blind obedience. In such a critical situation, when someone takes the lead, they often don't have time to think.

Tu Shan Yu had no time to explain. The forces on both sides quickly engaged in battle.

From a distance, the Second Prince's lips curled into a slight smile. If the human army and the demon forces led by Tu Shan Yu had immediately united against him, he might have had to exert more effort. Now that they were fighting amongst themselves, it couldn't be better.

The Qingqiu Kingdom was not known for its combat prowess, and they were outnumbered by the King of Liang’s forces. They quickly found themselves at a disadvantage, with many wounded and falling, their fates unknown.

At this point, the Second Prince shouted, "Empress of Qingqiu, I've come to lend you a hand!"

With that, he led his contingent and charged over. He worried that the longer time passed, the more both sides would realize what was happening, so it was better to use this opportunity to thoroughly muddy the waters.

The King of Liang felt a great weight lift from his heart and shouted, "Indeed! You're colluding from within and without! Come, face your death!"

After all, he possessed a Grandmaster's cultivation, and his personal guards were elite soldiers. He quickly swept through the Qingqiu guards who couldn't stop him. The Second Prince, despite offering assistance, was actually not exerting his full strength.

Tu Shan Yu finally couldn't resist, took a blow, and was sent flying backward, spitting blood.

Seeing her beautiful even as she spat blood, the King of Liang felt a stir in his heart. He reined in three-tenths of his power. He had thought that, since she was a sovereign ruler, he, despite his high status and power, couldn't do anything to her.

But if she colluded with the enemy, causing the human army to be routed, then he could legitimately capture her. And then, wouldn't she be at his mercy on the journey?

He wasn't particularly worried about his own safety. In this situation, the enemy was clearly focusing on attacking the army within the main camp; otherwise, if the soldiers effectively gathered, the enemy would be in danger.

This so-called Second Prince couldn't be that foolish. So, if anyone died, it would only be the common soldiers. As the commander, with so many guards around him, he could seize this opportunity to cut a bloody path out.

The King of Liang was almost upon Tu Shan Yu, close enough to clearly see her trembling eyelashes, filled with panic. He thought to himself, *What a temptress.*

He instinctively held back some of his strength, regretting the thought of accidentally killing such a beauty.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside Tu Shan Yu, pulling her into an embrace, then coldly stared at him.

Recognizing the figure, the King of Liang flinched. He quickly halted his attack just before the newcomer, his expression complex as he looked at him. "So, it's the Regent King."

Only a few years ago, this man was merely a humble live-in son-in-law in Brightmoon City. At that time, there was a world of difference between them; he wouldn't even need to act personally, a mere glance would have countless subordinates making the man wish he were dead.

Yet, in such a short time, he had grown to a point where the King of Liang had to look up to him.

Tu Shan Yu, who had thought herself doomed, never expected to fall into a warm embrace. Feeling the familiar presence, she was both startled and delighted. "Regent King!"

Her voice was soft and sweet, causing Xie Daoyun, who was not far away, to get goosebumps all over.

Murong Qinghe couldn't help but whisper to her, "Sister Xie, do you think there's something going on between the Empress of Qingqiu and Elder Brother Zu?"

Xie Daoyun replied with a straight face, "You can ask your Elder Brother Zu yourself when the time comes."

"I wouldn't dare," Murong Qinghe said, a worried expression on her face. Elder Brother Zu was good in every way, except he was too much of a philanderer.

Zu An looked at the King of Liang, his expression icy. "With a formidable enemy before us, why are you and the Empress of Qingqiu not joining forces, but instead fighting amongst yourselves?"

The King of Liang hurriedly said, "Regent King, you don't understand. This woman colluded with the Second Prince of the demon race from within and without, bringing wolves into our home to attack our army. I was just trying to capture her..."

"...and take her as a hostage."

"I'm not..." Tu Shan Yu began to explain, but Zu An stopped her.

"Do you have any evidence?" Zu An looked at the King of Liang.

Seeing that the other party wasn't listening to Tu Shan Yu's explanation, the King of Liang rejoiced. "If she hadn't collaborated with them from within, how could the Second Prince's army have appeared here so silently? What's more, the Second Prince himself just said so! Many people here heard it, didn't you?"

"Yes..." Apart from his loyal personal guards, the rest of his subordinates gradually started to realize that something felt off.

"You believe whatever the enemy says? You've fallen for their divisive scheme without even realizing it, you fool," Zu An cursed coldly.

The King of Liang's expression changed. "After all, I am of the Emperor's uncle's generation and a figure of the current court. I hope the Regent King chooses his words carefully!"

"You have the nerve to ask why the Second Prince's army could appear here silently? It's because you yourself didn't deploy scouts or outposts! The Qin family brothers even suggested it multiple times, but you rejected them all, almost causing the entire human reinforcement army to be annihilated. My scolding you is mild, considering that." Zu An thought to himself, *If it weren't for the balance of power between the Empress Dowager and Empress factions in the capital, how could such an idiot have been sent out?*

The King of Liang also shouted, "Some words cannot be spoken carelessly! It was you, Regent King, who recommended this woman to escort us along the way. That's why I fully trusted her, fearing it would affect relations between our two races and not wanting to disrespect you, so I didn't deploy more scouts. Now that your own people are causing problems, you want to shift the blame onto me! This is outrageous!"

Hearing his words, many human soldiers also started to murmur amongst themselves, feeling that there was some truth to what he said.

At this point, Murong Qinghe interjected, "Hmph, you talk so grandiosely, but wasn't it just your own covetousness for the Empress of Qingqiu's beauty, wanting to leave a good impression on her, that you risked the safety of countless brothers?"

Feeling the suspicious glances of many soldiers, the King of Liang grew anxious. "You just fancy that young man from the Chu family, and the Regent King is the Chu family's son-in-law, so naturally you're speaking up for him!"

Murong Qinghe was both embarrassed and agitated. "The two Qin brothers, they suggested many times that you deploy more scouts! Now they're severely wounded just trying to send a warning! Sister Xie can also testify to this."

"Who doesn't know that this Xie person also fancies the Regent King!" the King of Liang sneered.

Xie Daoyun was about to speak, but hearing that remark, her face instantly flushed crimson with embarrassment. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

The King of Liang was about to say more, but Zu An stopped him. "Enough! You've delayed military affairs, neglected your duty, and almost became a sinner for all time against humanity! Guards, apprehend Zhao Yi and escort him back to the capital for trial."

"Who dares!" The King of Liang swung his weapon, fending off the approaching soldiers. "You, Zu! I am the imperial court's appointed commander-in-chief and the Emperor's uncle! What right do you have to seize me? Do you intend to seize power and defect to the demon race? If you have the guts, kill me now, otherwise, once I return to the capital, I will certainly—"

He hadn't finished speaking when a flash of sword light appeared, and a head flew directly into the air.

Zu An gently blew off the bloodstains from the tip of his sword. "Since you made such a request, how could I not fulfill it?"